SR5 Sport Utility

Compare Dealer Clearance Prices and SAVE

Review

2008
Toyota
4Runner Review

A great well-equipped off-road vehicle.

Reviewed by Automotive on
8/2/2008

Overview

The 2008 Toyota 4Runner is a great off-road vehicle. There are a few new features this year. It has plenty of features to help navigate even the roughest of terrains. Exterior features and interior features won’t disappoint, and performance and power ratings on this vehicle will provide plenty of satisfaction. Safety ratings is higher than average for the 4Runner, and fuel economy is around average for this vehicle type. From the mountains to the sea, this is a great vehicle to choose in any landscape.

Interior

The 2008 Toyota 4Runner includes many interior options and features. Standard features include cloth front bucket seats, an eight-way manual driver’s seat, four-way manual front passenger seat, power-adjustable lumbar support in the driver’s seat, adjustable four-spoke tilt steering wheel with cruise controls, computer-controlled fuel gauge, and remote fuel, door, and hood releases. The windows are powered and include an auto-down feature for the driver’s side window, and auto-up and -down features for the rear windows as well as jam protection on all. The power door locks are programmable, and the rear hatch locking system is powered. A nice feature on this vehicle is the tire pressure monitoring system, which indicates when a tire is low. The audio in the 4Runner is an AM/FM/CD/MP3/WMA player stereo system with an auxiliary input and six speakers.

Performance & Handling

The 2008 Toyota 4Runner comes with a four-liter V-6 engine or a 4.7-liter V-8 engine. The four-liter engine is rated at 236 horsepower, which provides for 266 lb-ft of torque. The 4.7-liter engine is rated at 260 horsepower, which provides for 306 lb-ft of torque. All models have optional rear drive with part-time all-wheel or full-time all-wheel drive. Vehicle stability control, traction control, hill-start assist control, and downhill assist control for the four-wheel drive units, which all help this vehicle perform wonderfully off road. The 4Runner includes A-arm front suspension and a four-link rigid-type rear suspension with coil springs. Both the front and rear have stabilizer bars. The steering is variable-gear power rack-and-pinion. Also included is electronic brake force distribution. The X-REAS linked shock-absorber system is optional and helps in high-speed turns.

Safety

The 2008 Toyota 4Runner has a higher than average rating with four stars in driver and passenger front impact protection and three stars in rollover crash test ratings. The Toyota 4Runner includes the standard four-wheel anti-lock brake systems with brake assist. The driver and front passengers get an advanced airbag system with an occupant classification sensor and seat-mounted side airbags. The first and second rows get roll-sensing side curtain airbags with a cutoff switch. For families, the rear doors have child safety locks, power window lockout, and a child restraint system with anchors and tether brackets. Side-impact door beams and automatic transmission shift lock is included on all vehicles.